What’s your unpopular Hermes opinion?

[QuelleFromage]

My unpopular opinion regarding Hermes is less about the brand but more about the attitude of some of the more recent devotees/resellers/bandwagon followers which in turn has lead to shopping in the stores to be a stressful and unpleasant experience judging by some of the posts I read in the Paris shopping thread in particular.
I actually feel for the SA's being bombarded constantly with people asking for Bags/leather appointment/Chypres etc etc.
It must become draining and actually a bit demotivating when one puts time and energy into selling RTW, Fine jewellery home goods etc whilst waiting for, indeed expecting the client on the way to the till to ask "any chance of a leather appointment'.
I'm actually becoming bored with reading people complaining that they went to Paris and didn't get a QB offer (some may say don't read the thread then, but I guess its like scratching a mosquito bite I cant help myself!).
One is in Paris for heavens sake! So much to see and do.
Be grateful we are no longer in lockdown, free to travel, have money to spend on luxury goods.
There is much to be grateful for and I feel sad that for some people their happiness hinges on a bag offer.
And while I'm at it..
I'm getting bored with the obsession with quota bags, and how to 'score' one.

Agreed!

I also hold the unpopular opinion that shopping in the Paris stores is less fun for locals now, as 1) the stores are crowded with people angling for leather appointments and, especially in FSH, literally pushing others aside or having meltdowns 2) you literally can't put your bag down without someone grabbing for it 3) related, if you've found anything you want to buy, from homeware to scarves, you need to drag it from place to place keeping hold of it or have your SA hide it, otherwise someone is, again, going to grab it out from under you.

 

[Evia]

Agreed!

I also hold the unpopular opinion that shopping in the Paris stores is less fun for locals now, as 1) the stores are crowded with people angling for leather appointments and, especially in FSH, literally pushing others aside or having meltdowns 2) you literally can't put your bag down without someone grabbing for it 3) related, if you've found anything you want to buy, from homeware to scarves, you need to drag it from place to place keeping hold of it or have your SA hide it, otherwise someone is, again, going to grab it out from under you.

Sounds terrible Personally I’m tired of hearing quota, quota, quota. Or “b or k” as if they’re interchangeable and not two completely different styles. And don’t get me started on the toiletries bag as handbag thing.

 

[lurketylurk]

My unpopular opinion regarding Hermes is less about the brand but more about the attitude of some of the more recent devotees/resellers/bandwagon followers which in turn has lead to shopping in the stores to be a stressful and unpleasant experience judging by some of the posts I read in the Paris shopping thread in particular.
I actually feel for the SA's being bombarded constantly with people asking for Bags/leather appointment/Chypres etc etc.
It must become draining and actually a bit demotivating when one puts time and energy into selling RTW, Fine jewellery home goods etc whilst waiting for, indeed expecting the client on the way to the till to ask "any chance of a leather appointment'.
I'm actually becoming bored with reading people complaining that they went to Paris and didn't get a QB offer (some may say don't read the thread then, but I guess its like scratching a mosquito bite I cant help myself!).
One is in Paris for heavens sake! So much to see and do.
Be grateful we are no longer in lockdown, free to travel, have money to spend on luxury goods.
There is much to be grateful for and I feel sad that for some people their happiness hinges on a bag offer.
And while I'm at it..
I'm getting bored with the obsession with quota bags, and how to 'score' one.

I had the same thought about the sales associates. Imagine how awful it must be to deal with that every day. And some complain that the SA is not super nice when explaining they can't get them a leather appointment - something the asker already knew but decided to ask anyway. I know I couldn't answer the same question hundreds of times a day and still project sunshine and rainbows.

 

[tinkerbell68]

My unpopular opinion regarding Hermes is less about the brand but more about the attitude of some of the more recent devotees/resellers/bandwagon followers which in turn has lead to shopping in the stores to be a stressful and unpleasant experience judging by some of the posts I read in the Paris shopping thread in particular.
I actually feel for the SA's being bombarded constantly with people asking for Bags/leather appointment/Chypres etc etc.
It must become draining and actually a bit demotivating when one puts time and energy into selling RTW, Fine jewellery home goods etc whilst waiting for, indeed expecting the client on the way to the till to ask "any chance of a leather appointment'.
I'm actually becoming bored with reading people complaining that they went to Paris and didn't get a QB offer (some may say don't read the thread then, but I guess its like scratching a mosquito bite I cant help myself!).
One is in Paris for heavens sake! So much to see and do.
Be grateful we are no longer in lockdown, free to travel, have money to spend on luxury goods.
There is much to be grateful for and I feel sad that for some people their happiness hinges on a bag offer.
And while I'm at it..
I'm getting bored with the obsession with quota bags, and how to 'score' one.

I was lucky enough to spend five weeks in Paris this spring and, TBH, was embarrassed by the behavior of other customers at the H stores. While we did visit the FSH and George V stores once, our apartment was very near the Sevres store so it became our 'home' store.. I was frankly appalled by the way customers behaved while interacting with the leather concierge as well as other SAs. At one point, I was checking out and overheard two SAs commenting on a group of American women who were complaining about everything (having to wait for help, no appointments, no bags, etc). I was surprised that the SAs were smiling and were not being rude (the customers certainly were!) but rather rolling their eyes at the gauche behavior. I found myself hoping that I would not be associated with the Americans and was glad I can speak rudimentary french.

 

[Gal4Dior]

I had the same thought about the sales associates. Imagine how awful it must be to deal with that every day. And some complain that the SA is not super nice when explaining they can't get them a leather appointment - something the asker already knew but decided to ask anyway. I know I couldn't answer the same question hundreds of times a day and still project sunshine and rainbows.

My unpopular opinion is about Hermes' policies then. If they didn't institute this policy where you had to ask for bags that were "not available" or "available" for you and were more transparent about hot to obtain one, people would not be asking those annoying questions a million times a day. Yes, I feel sorry for SAs, but it's not the customer's fault for asking (in a polite way - being rude is totally unacceptable), it's the corporate policies that help encourage this to happen.

I don't walk into any other luxury fashion house wondering if the SA is lying to me about the availability of their items! Think about it, besides Chanel, who is coming dangerously close, I've never had to 'think' about what to do or what to say to not make a SA like me. It's ridiculous that we can't be just our regular polite selves and equate an SA relationship to 'courting.' I dated my husband for marriage, and I won't be "dating" an SA anytime soon to see if he or she likes me enough to help me along my Hermes journey. LOL!

I'm not speaking in absolutes, as there are always exceptions to the rule, but I don't fault anyone for feeling sad if they dreamed of a bag at FSH and didn't get one. Especially if they don't have one in their collection at all. I've been lucky to collect a few, but my feelings about the Hermes "game" has certainly changed before I received my first QB versus after my 4th. Good luck to all those still dreaming about their first our second QB.

I'm certainly done with QBs after my next one. I love H items, not all, but some - and I will continue to purchase those items without it being tied to a quest for a QB, and I guess that makes me very fortunate as those who may dream of a bag (for whatever legit or silly reason) cannot just spend money with a high priced brand for funsies.

 

[Paridae]

My unpopular opinion is that the Della Cavalleria looks a little bit like a bottom in a thong... I only thought of this when I saw it in Mauve and the thought cannot be shaken off my mind. Actually... I don't know if it's an unpopular opinion but I needed to let this opinion out instead of wondering if it's just me...?

 

[PrayersandPurses]

My unpopular opinion is that the Della Cavalleria looks a little bit like a bottom in a thong... I only thought of this when I saw it in Mauve and the thought cannot be shaken off my mind. Actually... I don't know if it's an unpopular opinion but I needed to let this opinion out instead of wondering if it's just me...?

View attachment 5791976

I own a Della but your comment cracked me up

 

[lurketylurk]

My unpopular opinion is about Hermes' policies then. If they didn't institute this policy where you had to ask for bags that were "not available" or "available" for you and were more transparent about hot to obtain one, people would not be asking those annoying questions a million times a day. Yes, I feel sorry for SAs, but it's not the customer's fault for asking (in a polite way - being rude is totally unacceptable), it's the corporate policies that help encourage this to happen.

I don't walk into any other luxury fashion house wondering if the SA is lying to me about the availability of their items! Think about it, besides Chanel, who is coming dangerously close, I've never had to 'think' about what to do or what to say to not make a SA like me. It's ridiculous that we can't be just our regular polite selves and equate an SA relationship to 'courting.' I dated my husband for marriage, and I won't be "dating" an SA anytime soon to see if he or she likes me enough to help me along my Hermes journey. LOL!

I'm not speaking in absolutes, as there are always exceptions to the rule, but I don't fault anyone for feeling sad if they dreamed of a bag at FSH and didn't get one. Especially if they don't have one in their collection at all. I've been lucky to collect a few, but my feelings about the Hermes "game" has certainly changed before I received my first QB versus after my 4th. Good luck to all those still dreaming about their first our second QB.

I'm certainly done with QBs after my next one. I love H items, not all, but some - and I will continue to purchase those items without it being tied to a quest for a QB, and I guess that makes me very fortunate as those who may dream of a bag (for whatever legit or silly reason) cannot just spend money with a high priced brand for funsies.

Oh no question, the policies are the root of the problem. But customers who prioritize obtaining an object - which is readily available on the secondhand/reseller market even if H hoards it in the boutiques - over interacting in a human way with sales associates, or pesters a sales associate relentlessly, or insists on asking for a leather appointment and visiting the boutique every single day of their Paris vacation (!) despite being told by H associates that they need to do the online lottery for an appointment...I can't understand or sympathize with that behavior. I guess my unpopular opinion is that people should shoot their shot with the online lottery if they want a bag in Paris and if it doesn't work out, move on and enjoy the many, MANY other wonderful options in that city.

 

[lurketylurk]

My unpopular opinion is that the Della Cavalleria looks a little bit like a bottom in a thong... I only thought of this when I saw it in Mauve and the thought cannot be shaken off my mind. Actually... I don't know if it's an unpopular opinion but I needed to let this opinion out instead of wondering if it's just me...?

View attachment 5791976

OMG I cannot unsee it now!!!!

 

[Naessi]

When I was shown the Evelyne PM the SA said the correct way to wear it is actually with the H side toward you and the pocket side outward, which makes sense actually with the way the snap closure of the pocket sits.

Correct! Though an SA told me I was trying on the Evelyne the "wrong way around" when I was wearing the H side towards me. I didn't have the courage to correct her, but just said I preferred it that way (this was an SA in another store than my home store, so we had no preexisting relationship, otherwise I might have told her in a gentle way).

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

Agreed!

I also hold the unpopular opinion that shopping in the Paris stores is less fun for locals now, as 1) the stores are crowded with people angling for leather appointments and, especially in FSH, literally pushing others aside or having meltdowns 2) you literally can't put your bag down without someone grabbing for it 3) related, if you've found anything you want to buy, from homeware to scarves, you need to drag it from place to place keeping hold of it or have your SA hide it, otherwise someone is, again, going to grab it out from under you.

This sounds like shopping at a Yard sale or sample sale!
The antithesis of a luxury shopping experience

 

[PrayersandPurses]

You ladies are making me lmao with your comments

 

[880]

the SA is lying to me about the availability of their items!

Sadly this appears to be the majority opinion on TPF

@maxroxxherhandbags, my H SA brought down other items for me to try and left them outside the dressing room on a separate rack. I had not yet opened the door to see them. When she came back down she had to guard the rack against other customers. It was like a sample sale lol

 

[calicocat]

This sounds like shopping at a Yard sale or sample sale!
The antithesis of a luxury shopping experience

Been thinking about this since this 2017 Purseblog article with the linesitters pic outside Faubourg (below), before H switched to online appointments:

 

[lulilu]

My unpopular opinion is about Hermes' policies then. If they didn't institute this policy where you had to ask for bags that were "not available" or "available" for you and were more transparent about hot to obtain one, people would not be asking those annoying questions a million times a day.

I don't walk into any other luxury fashion house wondering if the SA is lying to me about the availability of their items!

Sadly this appears to be the majority opinion on TPF

I have been told by an SA that the thing she disliked most about her job was lying to customers about the unavailability of bags when she knew there were bags in the back room. So it's not just an opinion, guess, or surmise, or belief. It's true. The true part I guess is that there are no bags available "for you." (I am not suggesting that I have not been the recipient of such statements either, but I don't really ask anymore.)